Man arrested after allegedly shooting trespasser

James Andrew Davis

Deputies arrested a Greenville man Saturday after he reportedly shot one of three men he claimed were trespassing on Kershaw County land he leased for hunting.

A Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) press release said deputies arrested James Andrew Davis, 46, around 2 a.m. Saturday. The release said deputies responded to KershawHealth shortly after midnight for a report of a man who suffered a gunshot wound. Deputies interviewed the victim and went to the shooting location on Jordan Cemetery Road, Camden.

Deputies spoke with four individuals at the scene, including Davis, and determined the victim and two other individuals were driving a pickup truck on property leased by Davis for a hunt club. When Davis saw the pickup truck on the property, he allegedly fired several rounds from a .270 rifle in the air to scare them off. At one point, as the truck was leaving the property, Davis allegedly fired additional rounds in the air and two rounds at the fleeing truck.

One of the two rounds fired at the truck reportedly went through the tailgate, the front of the bed and through the cab, striking the victim. The men in the truck went to a nearby house where the homeowner drove the victim to the hospital where he was treated and relased.

The press release said deputies charged Davis, who has no prior criminal record, with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Davis posted a $15,000 bond to be released from jail following a hearing Sunday.

Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said Tuesday that the victim and his two companions were issued summonses for trespassing after the property owner confirmed the land was posted.